Review: Needful Things “Deception” [Give Praise records]

Needful Things is one of those bands where an introduction is difficult to formulate. We’re at a level of underground that’s simultaneously entertaining yet devoid of any superb merit. Not quite mediocre but not a head above anyone else’s. Needful Things plays grindcore, plain and simple, a textbook definition to mirror their third full-length, ‘Deception’. Though being the musical optimist that I am, ‘Deception’ isn’t as arid as any John-Grindcore out there and plays a style of groovy grind that brandishes some brutal tracks. Play it loud and play it proud, Needful Things might have something you need.

Like a starting pistol at a marathon, Deception blasts off with a 1-2-3-4 snare smash and enthusiastically carries said pace for the next 24 minutes. It’s in this race of grinding madness that we find the genre clichés that smother potential into submission. All the staples are here, including blast beats and unrelenting cymbal crashes to engender a memorable atmosphere of furious rage. However, this effort is halted and diminished by the album’s production, which sounds too clean and a tad overproduced. No doubt that it sounds aesthetically pleasing, all things considered, and has some great tones supporting it like the guitars but it holds the album back from unlocking a mood that reads pure vitriol. It sounds like a modern grindcore album which might satiate some people’s musical hunger but only prolongs mine. The energy is here but it sounds too soft. Thankfully, this isn’t enough to deny the album’s enjoyability as it delivers some genuinely neck-breaking riffs.

This album is unmistakably metallic grindcore and is as riff driven you can get within the genre. While the band plays in their comfort zone as evident by the tight yet punchy riffs, they still end up with some stone-cold moments that pummel right through you. Tracks like ‘Small Bonus’ and ‘Extreme Way’ blaze a war trail, thanks in large part to the crust-inspired, groovy death metal riffs, punctuated not only by the thick guitar tone but the persistent, aggressive drumming and murky bass as well. The drumming is the most impressive aspect of this album and has nothing but blatant talent behind it with how on point it is. The vocals are the stereotypical dichotomy of traditional death growls and scratchy, higher pitched shrill yells, screams and shrieks. I don’t have a preference for either style here as they aren’t unique enough to begin with and don’t offer anything besides belting out lyrics. The performances aren’t lacking in an energetic capacity but don’t capture my attention readily. Not bad, just not great, which in all summarizes the whole album.

‘Deception’ offers up several bite-sized grind hymns and thrashers that don’t excel in any category but still get a positive rise out of me from time to time. With each track averaging at about a minute or two, no song feels overtly long or overplayed, except for the three-minute track ‘Without Emotions’. Striking that song from the record however gleans a consistently paced, average grindcore experience. This album doesn’t need to be more, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. No lies or deception here, this album is plain grindcore.

Release date: March 20th, 2020

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